Beyond a shadow of doubt
by sara Kristina
Summary: [JEYTON]What will happen when Peyton meets Jake after three years?
1. In New York

First of all! Thank you Josefin for the brainwave:)

so...to the story...Peyton has moved to New York. Jake lives in New York.

* * *

Peyton pulls her black coat closer to her body. The cool New York air is making her chins flush ,with a strong red colour. Her sight is minimal since it's started to snow, big, pure white snowflakes. She takes a deep, cold breath and speeds up. She longs for the warmth inside and she's just one block away from the apartment she shares with her newfound best friend Lisa. As she walks a tall young man with blond hair and a red scarf round his neck walks up to her.

-Hey Peyton!

-Hi Liam. What's up? She says and puts a hand on his shoulder.

-I was wondering if you're coming to the additional arts class tonight?

He talks fast with a deep British accent and glance hopefully at her.

She knows that he likes her. And she has noting against him. But she recently broke up with Lucas Scott. For the second time in two years. She's just not ready.

-Yeah, I don't know. I have a lot of work to do and…stuff you know.

-Yeah. Well another time maybe! He laughs miserably.

- Well, see you round! He gives her a light punch on the shoulder and walks back the way he came from.

The same time Peyton's cell starts to ring. She answers and she can hear Lisa's low voice in the phone.

-Peyton! You have to come in! Hot mark is here and im afraid I might do something stupid like actually talk to him!

- And were is " in"? Where are you?

-well if you turn around there's a new café called 'Greys' behind you! I can see you! Im sitting right next to the window!

Peyton turns around, to see Lisa's waving hand in the window.

-Fine. She hangs up the phone to go inside.

It's so warm inside the café that it's almost overwhelming. She sits down in the chair in front of Lisa and her face tickles as the blood comes rushing back.

-Thank God you're here! You have to stop me!

- Why don't you just go over there and say something?

Lisa gives her a long look.

-Are you insane? That would be like suicide! God! It feels just like high school!

Peyton laughs when Lisa miserably leans her head in her hands.

Behind her she can hear a voice calling:

-Jenny! Its time to go home!

A small girl runs past them, laughing.

Peyton stops breathing for a moment. Suddenly a name shows up in her head.

Jenny… Jake. She hadn't given them a thought in many years.

Jake hurries out of the café. He grabs jenny's small hand and holds it hard. He walks as fast as they can. A million thought were rushing trough his head and yet it all stood still.

'_Peyton's here. Here. What's she doing in New York? And of all places why here? '_

He starts to walk faster and faster.

-Daddy to fast! To fast! He stops and looks down at his four year old daughter.

-I'm sorry Jen. Let's get a cab home, huh?

-Okay!

She smiles. She loves cabs.

* * *

Peyton is lying buried in blankets and pillows when Lisa sits down by her feet in the bed. 

-No school for you today, huh?

-I don't think so, Peyton mumbles. She has a massive cold.

Lisa hands her a tissue and says:

-I'll give you my notes later, so you can keep up.

-Thanks.

-Do you want anything? Coffee?

-I think I can manage to go down and buy my own coffee. The new place is really close, she grumbles.

-Okay. Bye. Try to get some sleep! And by the way, ill be late. Im studying with some people in my French class.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The door closes behind Lisa and Peyton falls asleep.

* * *

The doorbell rings and Jake opens the door to let the babysitter in. 

-Thank you Jody. Sorry for the short notice but I have to work. Need the money, he moans.

-Its ok. Where's she?

-She's watching TV in the bedroom. So, ill be back round seven or eight.

-Mhm.

Jody looks around in the small, chaotic apartment.

-I'm sorry bout the mess. Haven't had the time to….

-It's ok! Jody gives him an understanding glance

-Go! Don't want to be late!

-Right! Thanks again! He says and Jody closes the door behind him.

* * *

When Peyton wakes up it's already five o'clock and she's been sleeping for seven hours. 

Her troath is dry.

_'I need coffee!'_ She gets up and snatches Lisa's yellow rib knitted cardigan. 'Greys café is only one block away so she hurries down the crowded street in her pyjama pants and cardigan.

A tall man with a red company cap stands in the counter and behind him, with his back towards Peyton, stand another guy with a red cap.

-Welcome to Greys! Im Pete Grey! the man smiled.

- Hi, I'd like a large espresso and...

Suddenly there's a big bang behind her.

The man behind the counter groans.

-Martha! You can't carry the tray with only one hand! He looks at Peyton.

-Excuse me… he turns to the man behind him:

-Can you take over? I have to help Martha.

-Shore! The other one turns around.

-Hi I'm….

-Jake…?

-Yeah…..

* * *

This was the first chapter and I hope you've enjoyed it.

Please review and tell me what you thought!


	2. In confusion

Many THANKS for the reviews!

_"It felt like hours. We stood there. All quiet. There he was. The one I hurt so much all those years ago. Who was more grown up then the rest of us . His face hadn't changed at all except that he, when he laid eyes on me, got something uncertain in his eyes. It made me sad. It made me remember when he looked at me with love. Like a friend. It made me uncertain…"_

* * *

"Jake! Jake!" Pete rushed up to them.

"don't just stand there! Serve the customer! I'm so sorry miss!"

Peyton shook her head.

"It's ok. I have to go". She almost ran out.

Her nose was red, swollen and it ran.

'_God!' she thought 'Oh God!'_

"Peyton wait!" Jake ran up to her.

"Why are you running? "

"I… I don't know… " She felt confused. She didn't know why she was running. Couldn't understand why she felt so small in front of him.

"What are you doing in New York, Peyton?" He wondered.

"College." It wasn't more than a whisper.

They stood there all quiet and looked at each other. The sky was getting darker, more and more people showed up on the street, and entered the coffee shop.

Jake was the first one to speak.

"Guess I'd better go in and…"

"_No! Don't go! Stay here. Stay with me." She felt surprised by these thoughts. _

"Yeah, off course. I have to get in to bed so… well… bye Jake". She started her short walk back home.

"Bye. No, Peyton wait! Maybe you could drop by sometime. I'm here every day but Saturday." He shouted after her and went back inside.

'_Why was I so surprised to see her? I already knew she was here…..! God! My knees are shaking!_

_Hmm. Her hair is longer then before. _

"_Maybe you could drop by" …' _

He gasped.

"Who was that?" Pete asked when he came back inside.

Jake considered his answer.

"A friend."

"Wow… Exquisite!"

Pete laughed and walked away to take orders from the customers.

"Yeah, she's gorgeous." He said more to him self then to anyone else.

The radio was playing in the background.

When everything's made to be broken,  
I just want you to know who I am.

* * *

Peyton laid down on her back in the bed. She couldn't breath. The silence was unbearable. She reached out her arm and switched on the radio.

When everything feels like the movies,  
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive.

She turned it of again. _'Why can't they play happy songs?'_

She turned over and fell asleep.

* * *

"Peyton! I've a surprise for you! Look! "

Lisa gave Peyton a small piece of paper with a number on.

"What's this?" She asked suspiciously.

"Its HIS number! You know Franny in my French class? She works at Grey's to!"

"Lisa…"

"Don't tell me you don't want it! You've been very zombie like since you bumped into that guy! So do me a favor and call him! "

" I don't know Lis. This feels a little weird. You know. Kind of Stalker-ish…"

"Believe me, its not! He asked you to come by and it's been a week! He probably thinks that you don't want to have anything to do with him! CALL!"

* * *

**Thank you for reading!**

**I know this chapter was very short and im sorry, but I was temporarily out of ideas. But there will be more!**

**PLEASE review!**

**Thank you Josse for saying what you think. (I guess I won't take the coffee-cleaning part.)**


	3. Inside

**The lyrics in this chapter comes from Ryan Adams's 'I see monsters' and Keane's 'Try again' Both wonderful songs. **

**And the lyrics in the second chapter was from the Goo Goo Dolls's 'Iris' I forgot to mention that.**

**The reviews have been very helpful! So thank you, everyone who reviewed.**

* * *

' _I can't believe how much I've mist her. I can't think of anyone else who helped me as much as she did._

_There's no doubt it was Peyton who helped me through everything with Nikki. Even when she wasn't there, in some way or another she helped me. She's the best friend I've ever had. Maybe we can have that again. The friendship we had'_

Jake took a quick pick in the mirror. His eyes were swollen and tired.

"Come on Jenny! Daddy has to work and Jody's waiting! "

Jenny came out through the small kitchen door, holding a blond doll with a red dress in her arms.

"Can I bring Cindy?"

"Off course you can. Put your shoes on! "

'I'll be late!' He gave Jenny her brand new red jacket.

_15 minutes later he rushed out of the apartment building where Jody lived. _

* * *

Peyton pulled her black coat closer to her body. The snowing had stopped. Christmas decorations where showing up all over town. Right in front of her a door flew open and a man rushed out and ran in the direction of her.

* * *

Jake stopped. Peyton stopped. At first no one dared to say anything.

"Hi."

"Hey Peyton." They looked at each other.

"I've been meaning to call you but… I didn't know what to say. Exactly…"

"Oh…I thought you'd forgotten about me "he said with a low voice

She gave him a serious gaze.

"How can you thi… "

Jake interrupted:

"Do you want to take a walk with me? He asked.

"Okay." Peyton smiled.

* * *

'_At first we didn't speak at all. No one could think of anything to say. After about two blocks she turned around and asked me quietly:_

"_- What are we doing, Jake?" And I answered the only thing I could. _

"_I don't know…"_

_We kept walking and she said:_

" _Is it wrong of me to say that I think I…really like you Jake."_

_She continued saying my name in the end of every sentence .She softly touched the back of my hand. I could smell her shampoo and I felt dizzy. I didn't know what to say. A million thoughts rushed trough my head once again. _

'_Is she really over Luke this time? Can I trust her in **that** way again? Am I just some sort of replacement?'_

_The answer was pretty clear. I thought' maybe she could love **me** this time'_

"_Peyton…"_

"_I'm sorry." She said and let go of my hand. _

"_No Peyton… I love you. I really do. But…"_

"_But you don't trust me?" she said with bitterness in her voice. _

" _No.I mean, I do trust you. It's just… I need to take this slow, okay?"_

"_Yeah, off course!" She smiled and I just hoped she wouldn't notice that my knees where shaking and I could hardly stand up. _

**I'm just staring at the ceiling  
Waiting for the feeling  
Oh, oh but when she calls,  
I know she's the one  
Makes me want her harder  
Makes me want to be a little stronger**

* * *

_We need to take it slow he said and touched my hand. I felt a feeling in my stomach I haven't felt for years._

_I can't…Im not shore what kind of feeling. Hope, maybe? Some sort of excitement? Whatever it was I liked it._

* * *

""**Baby ill try again, try again**

**Baby I die every night, every time**

**What I was isn't what I am**

**I'd change back but I don't know if I can**

**Still I try, try again, try again.""**

Peyton pressed the doorbell. She could hear the buzz inside. She was really nervous. She knew none of them where the same anymore.

"_Can this really work?" she asked herself. There was no answer. _

The doorbell rang and in some way he just knew that it was Peyton standing on the other side of the thin brown door. He felt nervous. What if she'd find out he wasn't the same? A lot had happened. He took a deep breath and opened.

"Peyton! Ah…Welcome." He murmured.

"Thank you!" she came inside and took her coat off.

Jenny came running but stopped when she laid eyes on Peyton.

"Hi Jenny!" she said. Jenny looked at her with big eyes. Jake smiled.

"This is Peyton, Jenny. Do you remember Peyton?"

Jenny shook her small head and looked sceptically at Peyton.

"Well, It was a long time ago we saw each other" said Peyton. "You've grown up! You're really big now! "

Jenny looked proud about being called big. Peyton was accepted.

" I'm the tallest girl in my class at school!"

" WOW! Really? That's cool!" Peyton said and gave Jenny a big smile. Jenny took her hand and shook it hard.

"It was nice to meet you Miss Peyton! But Cindy is waiting for me! Its time for tea! She ran away with small steps.

"My God! She's so big! I haven't seen her in…What? Three years? "

"Yeah, three years."

"Has it really been that long?

"_Three years! I haven't seen her in three years!" _To hear it out loud made his head clearer in so many ways

_. She's here now. Here with me. With me." _

Jake reached out his arms and pulled her closer to him. He looked at her and kissed her gently on the mouth.

"Are you shore?" she asked him.

"Are you?" he asked her back. " Im no Pete from Fall Out Boy you know!"

She laughed.

"_That feels like a million years ago_! "

"Well… As shore as ever… Without a doubt!. … But … I'm so sorry Jake. About everything! With Lucas and all... "

"It's okay. It's a long time ago!" He said. "I don't want to loose you again."

"That's good 'cause I'm not going any where" she smiled.

* * *

So I think this was the end! Thank you for taking the time to read and please review! 


End file.
